Standards body to examine ethics complaints against Lowry

Complaints about an alleged breach of ethics legislation by Independent Tipperary TD Michael Lowry have been referred to the Standards in Public Office Commission by a Dáil committee.

The complaints relate to Mr Lowry’s alleged failure to properly declare his interest in certain lands in Britain.

The Dáil Committee on Members’ Interests met yesterday to consider complaints referred to it by the Clerk of the Dáil alleging that Mr Lowry had breached the Ethics in Public Office Acts 1995 and 2001 in relation to his interest in the UK lands. In a statement, the committee said it had decided that the complaints should be investigated by the Standards in Public Office Commission and it would forward the 380 complaints it had received to that body.

In response, Mr Lowry said that on November 14th he had formally requested the office of the Clerk of the Dáil to forward the complaints made against him to the appropriate investigative body.

‘Orchestrated’

“I did so in the knowledge that these complaints were orchestrated and co-ordinated. The complaints lodged arose from a deliberate initiative to encourage such complaints. The contents of the complaints are similar in nature and have a similar style and trend,” said the Tipperary TD.

“I will co-operate with the [Standards in Public Office] authority and I hope to establish the motivation for this planned and focused effort,” he said.